”…”
Shay and Kayden glanced at each other and shook their heads.
”One more girl now, eh?” Kayden remarked.
”Hmm?” Zach turned around to Kayden and Shay and said, “What?”
”Every time I meet you, I see a new girl with you,” Kayden rephrased himself.
”Hypocrites…” Shay muttered under his breath and thought, ‘I play around with a few girls, I get branded as a playboy. But when he does that, he becomes a role model.’
”What brings you here, by the way?” Zach asked Kayden.
”Misha and I were on our daily stroll around the capital where we heard a commotion in the garden. We were curious, so we decided to check, only to find you fighting with the other players. Then, Misha spotted Victoria and Aria in the group and…. You know the rest,” Kayden responded with a shoulder shrug.
”So, Shay. What did you want to talk to me about?” Zach asked with a curious look on his face.
”Uhh… yeah. Since it’s us three, let’s go grab a drink or something.”
Shay, Kayden, and Zach went to the nearby restaurant and ordered food and drinks.
”I… wanted to ask about the details of the tragedy of the 75th floor,” Shay said while stuttering.
”What details, though? I am sure Victoria would have mentioned everything when she reported it to Elliott, right?” Zach asked curiously.
”Yeah, and even the survivors reported too. But I want to hear it from your perspective and how you saw it,” Shay asserted.
”Well… There is nothing much to say, and I would rather not talk about it as it wasn’t a remarkable experience that I would want to speak off every time someone asked about my battles or near-death situations,” Zach uttered in a disdainful tone.
”But yeah… I will tell you.”
The food arrived shortly after, and Zach told Shay and Kayden about the tragedy of the 75th floor.
Shay listened to every detail carefully, as though his life was dependent on him. He also asked him several questions and reasons why Zach didn’t choose a different approach or the alternative of his choices, which might have to lessen the casualties.
”Okay, so one last question— which was also the only question I wanted to ask since the beginning.” After a brief pause, Shay looked into Zach’s eyes and asked, “What did you do with the bodies of those who died on the 75th floor?”
”As I said, I passed out, and I woke up ten minutes later. Most of the guild members had left, and the rest were taking care of the dead bodies.” Zach squinted his eyes as he recalled, “Most of the bodies were razed by the light beam of the soul eater. And I really mean that.”
”How bad… was it…?” Shay asked reluctantly.
”There were body parts of the players all over the area, and no one could recognize what part belonged to whom. The light beam incinerated everything on its way. And the players who managed to survive the attacks were injured. But those who died…”
”Did you… did they bury the bodies?” Shay asked.
”Yes.” Zach nodded and continued, “Since we didn’t have time to make a separate grave for every player, they dumped the body parts in one pit. And the bodies that were recognizable were buried in a different pit.”
”I see.”
”But why are you asking that?” Zach asked curiously.
Shay started blankly at Zach and smiled wryly before saying, “Love… is a funny yet complicated thing… no?”
Zach’s eyes winded after hearing that. He had never imagined he would hear the world ‘love’ from Shay’s mouth.
”Yeah, it is…” Zach replied in a calm voice with a nod.
It didn’t take seconds for Zach to realize why Shay said that. He shot a glance at Kayden to see if he knew about the matter, and Kayden nodded in reply.
”I… understand how you feel…” Zach said to Shay to comfort him.
”Do you, really?” Shay scoffed out loud and said, “You don’t! You haven’t lost the only girl you loved! You have no idea how it feels to lose someone who wasn’t even yours~ I never wished for anything in my life; I got everything I wanted without even asking for it. And…”
Shay bit his lips and said, “You have many girls flaunting over you, so even if you lose one, there will be others! But not for me! And you know what?! I was feeling sorry for you because I was the reason you got stuck in this game, but not anymore!”
”…”
”So far, your life has been better here than it was in the real world! You become famous! You somehow got strong too even though you have never played a game in your life! You got girls! You got money! This world is like a paradise for you!” Shay yelled.
”Calm down, Shay.” Kayden placed his hand on Shay’s shoulder and said, “You are not thinking—”
Shay slapped Kayden’s hand from his shoulder and said, “You have no right to talk to me either!”
”…”
Shay glared at Kayden and continued, “You married your sister like you always wanted! You don’t even care about the real world anymore! You have no danger to face or no people to lose. So don’t you two ever dare to tell me how you can feel my feelings, because right now, the only thing I am feeling is rage!”
”And what will that do? Will it bring back the girl you loved? Or maybe somehow send a message to that dead girl that you avenged her death?” Kayden furrowed his eyes at Shay and said, “Shay, we are in a death game. One wrong step and we are dead. And we are against the gods, the almighty and all-powerful. No player can possibly rival against them and win.”
”…”
”What… was the name of the girl?” Zach asked Shay in a calm voice.
”Bi… Bianca…”
”Hmm…” Zach hummed in wonder and uttered, “I remember talking to her. She seemed nervous as we advanced to the high floors.”
They talked until they finished eating, but after a while, Shay left after saying he had something to do.
***
Total players in the game- 1,482,968
0 new players logged in.
8 players died.
===
Author’s Note- Thanks, @GeoJersey, for the castle!